As for my SGS3, since I face WiFi issues (maybe router related, not sure yet), I'm sticking to stock for the time being as it allows me access to the service menus in order to disable the WiFi power saving features which fixes things. Also it seems the Jellybean builds out there are lacking hardware composition so it doesn't run silky smooth as I've tried a few.

First I would like to thank you for your effort. Very clear and easy to follow.

I never had a reason to root my SGS (Virgin) (or flash a custom ROM) before and was happily running on stock GB (2.3.3). I was intrigued by custom ROMs but never had time to learn how to flash. And then you come alone :).

The reason I stated to look at rooting, was my need to unlock. I will be going to Italy in a few weeks and wanted to use my phone & GPS there with local SIM (I think I can buy Pay-as-you-go kinda SIM there).

So, I followed your guide and got CM9 running just fine. I also unlocked the phone and was able to stick in my wife's Chatr/Rogers SIM (no data though) and it worked. I hope it will work in Italy (I am not sure if I need to change a modem or enable some frequencies via *#*#..... for that?).

2. I am not on Bell, I intent to use unlock for another carrier- wind, should I stay on this GKG3 modem,kernel -suggestions?

Thanks

You should be fine to go to CM10 instead of CM9. At the time of writing my guide, CM10 did not exist. Process is the same either way. Make sure your rooted with CWM, then flashing CM9 or CM10 should be effortless. If you have any issues with booting, just try re-flashing CM9/CM10 and that should fix it.

As far as I know, the GT-i9000M is not going to work on WIND. They use AWS which the phone does not support. You'll be constantly in "WIND Away" mode and thus incurring roaming charges. You are stuck with Bell, Rogers, Telus, or their sub-brands, Virgin Mobile, Fido, Koodo. Along with all the other re-sellers like PC Mobile and 7-Eleven.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitaliid

So, I followed your guide and got CM9 running just fine. I also unlocked the phone and was able to stick in my wife's Chatr/Rogers SIM (no data though) and it worked. I hope it will work in Italy (I am not sure if I need to change a modem or enable some frequencies via *#*#..... for that?).

Shouldn't need to change any frequencies or modems. I would stick to the modems with "UG" in their names since these are the Bell variants. If you want to play it safe though, download all the modems and keep them on your SD card. Then once you get to Italy, you can flash until you find one that works best.

I think UGJL2 is one of the more popular modems to use. Best combination of signal and GPS quality. But it really depends on location.

Go for JB (CM10 or something else). It sounds like you are now running it on SGS. Is it better then CM9? How would you compare GPS between the two? How about speed & battery life?

Stick with stock GB, root it and then unlock it. GPS does work well, battery is Ok, speed is so-so. I do believe CM9 felt smoother and snappier than stock GB.

Try CM9 again and see if GPS will improve? (well I will be doing just that while waiting for your reply anyways. Practice makes perfect!)

The GPS on the i9000 has never been great. I find if I hold the phone in landscape mode with the home button in my left hand, it works the best. That's my experience at least. You can try flashing that GPS "fix", it simply modifies the GPS config file. Likewise you could grab the "GPS Aids" or similar apps. They basically do the same thing too, but gives you an interface to what settings it changes.

I'll leave it up to you to decide if CM10 is better than CM9. Both are equally stable and offer similar performance, though I still feel CM9 is a bit quicker.

Technically speaking though, the GPS should get better the more you use it as it downloads/caches the positions of the satellites each time.

Does anyone know for certain what frequencies and network protocols the Telus Galaxy S (SGH-T959D) uses?

Might be able to pick one up with a wonky USB port (won't charge off the wall, won't connect with a computer, but will only charge when connected to a computer) for free. Figure $35 to replace the port makes for a good bargain. However, I'd want to use it on the Rogers/Fido network. Far as I can tell the SGH-T959 uses 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz HSPA and has quad-band GSM compatibility, but I'm not completely certain about the frequencies or whether it's HSPA, UMTS, or HSPA+. Remarkably, such information is not included in the manuals from Telus or Samsung. Rogers doesn't provide any sort of compatibility check tool that I can find, and Fido's is wholly outdated for Samsung phones.

And while I'm here -- how difficult is it it to replace the USB port on one of these?

Does anyone know for certain what frequencies and network protocols the Telus Galaxy S (SGH-T959D) uses?

Might be able to pick one up with a wonky USB port (won't charge off the wall, won't connect with a computer, but will only charge when connected to a computer) for free. Figure $35 to replace the port makes for a good bargain. However, I'd want to use it on the Rogers/Fido network. Far as I can tell the SGH-T959 uses 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz HSPA and has quad-band GSM compatibility, but I'm not completely certain about the frequencies or whether it's HSPA, UMTS, or HSPA+. Remarkably, such information is not included in the manuals from Telus or Samsung. Rogers doesn't provide any sort of compatibility check tool that I can find, and Fido's is wholly outdated for Samsung phones.

And while I'm here -- how difficult is it it to replace the USB port on one of these?